![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/california_post_772\/ed3816f0f1ef63715e69a7f51195d491.jpeg\"\/)
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A new study found California is home to both the safest city to park your car, and the the worst city for vehicle thefts. Getty Images\/iStockphoto<\/p>\n
![\"Irvine](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/california_post_772\/c6f28811e36d555f9819db9d5924155d.jpeg\"\/)
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Irvine was rated in the top 10 safest. Getty Images<\/p>\n
The study examined FBI National Incident-Based Reporting System data alongside US Census population estimates for 281 cities with at least 100,000 residents, ranking them by reported motor vehicle thefts per 100,000 people.<\/p>\n
Oakland wasn’t just at the top of the list, it practically lapped the competition.<\/p>\n
The city recorded 6,431 cars stolen<\/a> in 2025, translating to nearly 1,459 thefts per 100,000 residents. That’s almost 28 times higher than Irvine’s theft rate, creating one of the starkest contrasts anywhere in the country.<\/p>\n California also dominated another category, though not exactly one state leaders are likely to brag about.<\/p>\n Five California cities landed in the nation’s top 20 for vehicle theft rates, more than any other state. Along with Oakland, the list included Inglewood, Antioch, Richmond\u00a0and Hayward.<\/p>\n Oakland was rated the number one city in the country for vehicle thefts. Gado via Getty Images<\/p>\n The list didn’t stop there. Twelve California cities cracked the national top 50, including Long Beach, Downey, Lancaster, Vallejo, San Bernardino, San Jose\u00a0and Los Angeles.<\/p>\n At the other end of the spectrum, however, California proved it isn’t all bad news for car owners.<\/p>\n Irvine ranked as the ninth safest city<\/a> in America for vehicle thefts at No. 273 overall, while Thousand Oaks came in right behind it at No. 272. Carlsbad and Murrieta also placed among the state’s safest communities.<\/p>\n Five California cities landed in the nation’s top 20 for vehicle theft rates, more than any other state. Getty Images<\/p>\n Nationwide, an estimated 659,880 vehicles were stolen in 2025, which is roughly one every 48 seconds. While that’s still enough to make anyone double-check they locked the doors, it’s a significant improvement from the 2023 peak of more than 1 million stolen vehicles, representing a 35% decline.<\/p>\n Still, California continues to shoulder an outsized share of the problem.<\/p>\n The state accounted for nearly 137,000 stolen vehicles in 2025, representing about 21% of all vehicle thefts reported nationwide.<\/p>\n The takeaway? In California, your ZIP code may matter almost as much as whether you remembered to lock your car doors.\u00a0<\/p>\n Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters<\/p>\n California Post News: Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, TikTok<\/a>, X<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, WhatsApp<\/a>, LinkedIn<\/a>![\"Oakland](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/california_post_772\/f7ec2ae2f2251c8127476c0a0387178c.jpeg\"\/)
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